In one way, Leonard Cohen is a lot like the rest of us. More than five years ago, one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of the past 50 years lost most of his retirement funds, forcing him back on the road for his first American tour in 15 years. For the now 76-year-old singer-songwriter, it was a chance to reconnect with old fans and turn on new ones, all the while recouping the money squandered by his ex-manager.

In every other way, Cohen is nothing like us. Canadian-born, he came to music late—his debut, The Songs of Leonard Cohen, appeared in 1968, when he was 34—and never achieved true crossover success, though he remained one of the music world’s most respected (and most covered) singers. His voice, a weathered baritone when he began his singing career, has only deepened and grown into itself, and his devotion to Zen Buddhism has attached a sage-like quality to his later work.

Cohen’s performances this week at Caesars Palace are his last scheduled dates of the year, and given his age and previous reluctance to tour, Las Vegas can count itself lucky to be part of what appears to be the culmination of a triumphant victory lap.